Wha-Koo
Encyclopedia
Wha-Koo was an American rock
band best known for their 1978 single, "You're Such a Fabulous Dancer", an international hit from their critically acclaimed album, "Berkshire".
, who sang lead vocals on Steely Dan
's debut album Can't Buy a Thrill
, Nick Van Maarth, from Buddy Holly
's backup band, The Crickets
, Don Francisco formerly of Crowfoot
and Atlee and British blues man Andy Silvester formerly of Savoy Brown
. L.A. based session musician Reinie Press, bass player on many of Neil Diamond
's most successful recordings contributed bass and saxophone on two tracks on the bands 1977 debut album, "The Big Wha-Koo" for ABC Records
.
Peter Freiberger replaced Andy Silverster on bass for the band's 1978 album, "Berkshire". Produced by Grammy Award
winner, Ken Caillat
, it proved to be the band's most successful release. "Berkshire" featured, "You're Such a Fabulous Dancer" composed by Douma. Although a top ten hit in some international markets, it did little in the American music charts.
In 1978 Douma left Wha-Koo to pursue a solo career. He released a solo album "Night Eyes" on Warner Bros.
Records. The album featured many of the members of Wha-Koo as well as guest appearances by Eric Clapton
, Garth Hudson
from The Band
and several members of Fleetwood Mac
. Douma toured with Fleetwood Mac
as a supporting act for the remainder of 1979 and then left the music industry soon after. Chuck Cochran replaced Danny Douma on vocals and lead guitar and was with Wha-Koo at two notable appearances in 1978. On August 26 they played before an estimated crowd of 110,000 music fans at the Canada Jam
festival near Toronto, Ontario and on October 29, the band performed with Thin Lizzy on the steps of the Sydney Opera House
in Sydney, Australia before an estimated crowd of 100,000.
Cochran left the band after the tour to work with Robb Royer
of Bread
, Mike Finnigan
Crosby, Stills and Nash and others. Around this time Wha-Koo released their third album, "Fragile Line" on Epic Records
. Although no longer with the band, Cochran's lead guitar, background vocals and songs are featured on the album. By now the band was led by David Palmer
and featured new members, Ron Fransen, David Woodford and Eric Gotthelf. More rock-oriented, this release enjoyed some critical success but it did not enjoy commercial success and the group disbanded soon after.
in Florence, Oregon
.
David Palmer
contributed the song "Silhouette" to the film Teen Wolf
and the song "She's My Baby" to the film, Fast Times at Ridgemont High
. He also contributed songs to the TV series, The Heights
and he went on to record with Laura Brannigan and Jamie Walters amongst others. Today he's a successful Fine Art and Portrait photographer in the Los Angeles area.
Andy Silvester who departed after Wha-Koo's first album became a member of the Honeydrippers of Robert Plant
fame and was a founding member of the acoustic British rhythm and blues revival group, The Big Town Playboys
. He has also played with The Mike Sanchez
band.
Eddie Tuduri suffered a serious spinal cord injury in a body surfing accident in 1997. He founded "The Rhythmic Arts Project" (TRAP) later that year as an educational program to teach and enhance basic life skills to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities through drums and percussion.
Richard Kozinski has scored or co-scored almost 30 motion pictures and 300 aired network television episodes including episodes of Mad About You
, Gravedale High
and Teen Wolf.
Claude Pepper, alias Jack Mack, formed the successful Los Angeles based, rhythm and soul band, Jack Mack and the HeartAttack in 1980 and played with the band until 1987. He died at his home in Sacramento in February 2003.
David Woodford has since recorded and toured with Aaron Neville
, Bonnie Raitt
, Aerosmith
, Rod Stewart
, The Shirelles
and P. Diddy amongst others.
Chuck Cochran later worked as a singer and guitarist with Jim Messina, Tim Weisberg
, Norman Gimbel
, Fred Karlin
, Mike Finnigan
, Rob Royer, Larry Knechtel
, Kim Carnes
and David Lasley
. He also wrote songs for Laura Brannigan, Captain & Tennille
and others.
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band best known for their 1978 single, "You're Such a Fabulous Dancer", an international hit from their critically acclaimed album, "Berkshire".
History
Wha-Koo were a Los Angeles, California based, soft rock ensemble formed in 1977 under the leadership of singer, song writer and guitarist Danny Douma. Douma assembled a talented entourage of veteran musicians that included David PalmerDavid Palmer (vocalist)
David Palmer is an American vocalist and songwriter, most noted for his lead vocals on the Steely Dan song "Dirty Work" and as lyricist of the Carole King #2 hit, "Jazzman". Palmer was born and raised in Warren Township, Watchung, New Jersey....
, who sang lead vocals on Steely Dan
Steely Dan
Steely Dan is an American rock band; its core members are Donald Fagen and Walter Becker. The band's popularity peaked in the late 1970s, with the release of seven albums blending elements of jazz, rock, funk, R&B, and pop...
's debut album Can't Buy a Thrill
Can't Buy a Thrill
Can't Buy a Thrill is the first album by Steely Dan. Originally released in 1972, the album was a huge success. It went gold, and then platinum, peaking at #17 on the charts. In 2003, the album was ranked number 238 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time...
, Nick Van Maarth, from Buddy Holly
Buddy Holly
Charles Hardin Holley , known professionally as Buddy Holly, was an American singer-songwriter and a pioneer of rock and roll...
's backup band, The Crickets
The Crickets
The Crickets are a rock & roll band from Lubbock, Texas, formed by singer/songwriter Buddy Holly in the 1950s. Their first hit record was "That'll Be the Day", released in 1957....
, Don Francisco formerly of Crowfoot
Crowfoot (band)
Crowfoot was an American rock trio. The original line-up featured Russell DaShiell, Doug Killmer and Rick Jaeger.-History:The rock trio Crowfoot was an American band featuring Russell DaShiell on guitar and vocals, Doug Killmer on bass and vocals and Rick Jaeger on drums...
and Atlee and British blues man Andy Silvester formerly of Savoy Brown
Savoy Brown
Savoy Brown, originally known as the Savoy Brown Blues Band, are a British blues rock band, formed in 1965, in Battersea, South West London...
. L.A. based session musician Reinie Press, bass player on many of Neil Diamond
Neil Diamond
Neil Leslie Diamond is an American singer-songwriter with a career spanning over five decades from the 1960s until the present....
's most successful recordings contributed bass and saxophone on two tracks on the bands 1977 debut album, "The Big Wha-Koo" for ABC Records
ABC Records
ABC Records was an American record label, founded in New York City in 1955 as ABC-Paramount Records. It originated as the main popular music label operated the Am-Par Record Corporation, the music subsidiary of the American Broadcasting Company . ABC-Paramount Records' first president was Samuel H....
.
Peter Freiberger replaced Andy Silverster on bass for the band's 1978 album, "Berkshire". Produced by Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
winner, Ken Caillat
Ken Caillat
Kenneth Douglas "Ken" Caillat is an American record producer. He is best known for producing the Fleetwood Mac albums Rumours, Tusk, Mirage, Live, and The Chain Box Set....
, it proved to be the band's most successful release. "Berkshire" featured, "You're Such a Fabulous Dancer" composed by Douma. Although a top ten hit in some international markets, it did little in the American music charts.
In 1978 Douma left Wha-Koo to pursue a solo career. He released a solo album "Night Eyes" on Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
Records. The album featured many of the members of Wha-Koo as well as guest appearances by Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton
Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...
, Garth Hudson
Garth Hudson
Eric Garth Hudson is a Canadian multi-instrumentalist. As the organist, keyboardist and saxophonist for Canadian-American rock group The Band, he was a principal architect of the group's unique sound...
from The Band
The Band
The Band was an acclaimed and influential roots rock group. The original group consisted of Rick Danko , Garth Hudson , Richard Manuel , and Robbie Robertson , and Levon Helm...
and several members of Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac are a British–American rock band formed in 1967 in London.The only original member present in the band is its eponymous drummer, Mick Fleetwood...
. Douma toured with Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac are a British–American rock band formed in 1967 in London.The only original member present in the band is its eponymous drummer, Mick Fleetwood...
as a supporting act for the remainder of 1979 and then left the music industry soon after. Chuck Cochran replaced Danny Douma on vocals and lead guitar and was with Wha-Koo at two notable appearances in 1978. On August 26 they played before an estimated crowd of 110,000 music fans at the Canada Jam
Canada Jam
Canada Jam was a rock music festival concert held at Mosport Park in Bowmanville, Ontario Canada, about 100 kilometers east of Toronto, on August 26, 1978. The festival was produced by Sandy Feldman and Lenny Stogel who successfully produced California Jam and California Jam II. It attracted over...
festival near Toronto, Ontario and on October 29, the band performed with Thin Lizzy on the steps of the Sydney Opera House
Thin Lizzy Live at Sydney Harbour '78
Thin Lizzy Live at Sydney Harbour '78 is a live concert performance by Thin Lizzy on 29 October 1978 and subsequently produced in VHS and DVD format and available from Warner Vision.. It was originally a made for television special produced by local radio station 2SM and Australia's, Seven Network...
in Sydney, Australia before an estimated crowd of 100,000.
Cochran left the band after the tour to work with Robb Royer
Robb Royer
Robert Wilson "Robb" Royer was the bassist, guitarist, keyboardist, and songwriter with Bread from 1968 to 1971. While he was with the band, they had a #5 UK/#1 US hit single with "Make It With You"...
of Bread
Bread (band)
Bread was a rock band from Los Angeles, California. They placed 13 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 chart between 1970 and 1977 and were a prime example of what later was labeled soft rock....
, Mike Finnigan
Mike Finnigan
Mike Finnigan is an American keyboard player and vocalist, his specialty being the Hammond Organ.-Career:Finnigan has toured and sessioned for the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Joe Cocker, Etta James, Sam Moore, Crosby Stills and Nash, Dave Mason, Buddy Guy, Manhattan Transfer, Taj Mahal, Michael...
Crosby, Stills and Nash and others. Around this time Wha-Koo released their third album, "Fragile Line" on Epic Records
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
. Although no longer with the band, Cochran's lead guitar, background vocals and songs are featured on the album. By now the band was led by David Palmer
David Palmer (vocalist)
David Palmer is an American vocalist and songwriter, most noted for his lead vocals on the Steely Dan song "Dirty Work" and as lyricist of the Carole King #2 hit, "Jazzman". Palmer was born and raised in Warren Township, Watchung, New Jersey....
and featured new members, Ron Fransen, David Woodford and Eric Gotthelf. More rock-oriented, this release enjoyed some critical success but it did not enjoy commercial success and the group disbanded soon after.
Post Break Up
Danny Douma had a successful business career since his recording and touring days. In the early eighties, he founded "The Writers Store" a privately owned, worldwide resource center and retail outlet for writers and filmmakers. In 2002 he founded a second successful company, "Innoventive Software", publishers of film production and storyboard software. Danny Douma passed away on June 1, 2010 from cancerCancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
in Florence, Oregon
Florence, Oregon
Florence is a city in Lane County, Oregon, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 8,466.-History:The Florence area was originally inhabited by the Siuslaw tribe of Native Americans. Some state that the city was named for state senator A. B...
.
David Palmer
David Palmer (vocalist)
David Palmer is an American vocalist and songwriter, most noted for his lead vocals on the Steely Dan song "Dirty Work" and as lyricist of the Carole King #2 hit, "Jazzman". Palmer was born and raised in Warren Township, Watchung, New Jersey....
contributed the song "Silhouette" to the film Teen Wolf
Teen Wolf
Teen Wolf is a 1985 American fantasy comedy film released by Atlantic Releasing Corporation starring Michael J. Fox as Scott Howard, a high school student who discovers that his family has an unusual pedigree when he finds himself transforming into a werewolf...
and the song "She's My Baby" to the film, Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Fast Times at Ridgemont High is a 1982 American coming-of-age teen comedy film written by Cameron Crowe and adapted from his 1981 book of the same name...
. He also contributed songs to the TV series, The Heights
The Heights (TV series)
The Heights is an American musical drama series that aired on the Fox network from August to November 1992.-Synopsis:The Heights centers on a fictional band made up of mostly middle-class young adults...
and he went on to record with Laura Brannigan and Jamie Walters amongst others. Today he's a successful Fine Art and Portrait photographer in the Los Angeles area.
Andy Silvester who departed after Wha-Koo's first album became a member of the Honeydrippers of Robert Plant
Robert Plant
Robert Anthony Plant, CBE is an English singer and songwriter best known as the vocalist and lyricist of the iconic rock band Led Zeppelin. He has also had a successful solo career...
fame and was a founding member of the acoustic British rhythm and blues revival group, The Big Town Playboys
Big Town Playboys
The Big Town Playboys are a six-piece acoustic British rhythm and blues revival group. Founded by Ricky Cool and Andy Silvester in 1984, they covered American music from the 1940s and 1950s, such as that of Amos Milburn and Little Walter....
. He has also played with The Mike Sanchez
Mike Sanchez
Jesus Miguel "Mike" Sanchez is a rhythm and blues singer, pianist and songwriter of Spanish-English heritage. Sanchez is known for his work with the Big Town Playboys and Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings, and also for his solo career...
band.
Eddie Tuduri suffered a serious spinal cord injury in a body surfing accident in 1997. He founded "The Rhythmic Arts Project" (TRAP) later that year as an educational program to teach and enhance basic life skills to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities through drums and percussion.
Richard Kozinski has scored or co-scored almost 30 motion pictures and 300 aired network television episodes including episodes of Mad About You
Mad About You
Mad About You is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from September 23, 1992 to May 24, 1999. The show starred Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt as a newly married couple in New York City. Reiser played Paul Buchman, a documentary film maker. Hunt played Jamie Stemple Buchman, a public relations specialist...
, Gravedale High
Gravedale High
Gravedale High is an animated series produced by Hanna-Barbera for NBC Productions...
and Teen Wolf.
Claude Pepper, alias Jack Mack, formed the successful Los Angeles based, rhythm and soul band, Jack Mack and the HeartAttack in 1980 and played with the band until 1987. He died at his home in Sacramento in February 2003.
David Woodford has since recorded and toured with Aaron Neville
Aaron Neville
Aaron Neville is an American soul and R&B singer and musician. He has had four top-20 hits in the United States along with four platinum-certified albums...
, Bonnie Raitt
Bonnie Raitt
Bonnie Lynn Raitt is an American blues singer-songwriter and a renowned slide guitar player. During the 1970s, Raitt released a series of acclaimed roots-influenced albums which incorporated elements of blues, rock, folk and country, but she is perhaps best known for her more commercially...
, Aerosmith
Aerosmith
Aerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...
, Rod Stewart
Rod Stewart
Roderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer-songwriter and musician, born and raised in North London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English ancestry....
, The Shirelles
The Shirelles
The Shirelles were an African-American girl group that achieved popularity in the early 1960s. They consisted of schoolmates Shirley Owens , Doris Coley , Addie "Micki" Harris , and Beverly Lee...
and P. Diddy amongst others.
Chuck Cochran later worked as a singer and guitarist with Jim Messina, Tim Weisberg
Tim Weisberg
Tim Weisberg is an American jazz/rock fusion flutist, composer, producer, and vocalist. In high school, at his first music class, because his last name was at the end of the alphabet, he was last to pick an instrument. All that was left was the flute and the bassoon...
, Norman Gimbel
Norman Gimbel
Norman Gimbel is an American lyricist of popular songs, television and movie themes whose writing career includes such titles as "Sway", "Canadian Sunset", "Summer Samba", "The Girl from Ipanema", "Killing Me Softly With His Song", "Meditation" and "I Will Wait for You", along with an Oscar for...
, Fred Karlin
Fred Karlin
Fred Karlin was an American composer of more than one hundred scores for feature films and television movies. He also was an accomplished trumpeter adept at playing jazz, blues, classical, rock, and medieval music....
, Mike Finnigan
Mike Finnigan
Mike Finnigan is an American keyboard player and vocalist, his specialty being the Hammond Organ.-Career:Finnigan has toured and sessioned for the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Joe Cocker, Etta James, Sam Moore, Crosby Stills and Nash, Dave Mason, Buddy Guy, Manhattan Transfer, Taj Mahal, Michael...
, Rob Royer, Larry Knechtel
Larry Knechtel
Lawrence William "Larry" Knechtel was an American keyboard player and bassist, best known for his work as a session musician with such artists as Simon & Garfunkel, Duane Eddy, The Beach Boys, The Mamas & the Papas, The Partridge Family, The Doors, and Elvis Presley, and as a member of the 1970s...
, Kim Carnes
Kim Carnes
Kim Carnes is an American singer-songwriter. She is a two-time Grammy Award winner noted for her distinctive raspy vocal style. Some people have called her "The Female Rod Stewart" due to her raspy voice....
and David Lasley
David Lasley
David Lasley is an American singer-songwriter, best known for his contributions as a background singer for such artists as Bonnie Raitt, James Taylor and Luther Vandross....
. He also wrote songs for Laura Brannigan, Captain & Tennille
Captain & Tennille
Captain & Tennille are American pop music recording artists who achieved chart success from 1975 to 1980. The duo consists of husband and wife duo "Captain" Daryl Dragon , and Cathryn Antoinette "Toni" Tennille . They are best known for their singles "Love Will Keep Us Together" and "Do That to Me...
and others.
Albums
| Year | Title | Label | Catalogue Number |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | The Big Wha-Koo | ABC Records | AB 971 |
| 1978 | Berkshire | ABC Records | ABCL 5283 |
| 1979 | Fragile Line | Epic Records | EPC 83875 |
Singles
| Year | Title | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Whisky Voices | The Big Wha-Koo |
| 1977 | Save Your Tears | The Big Wha-Koo |
| 1978 | You're Such A Fabulous Dancer | Berkshire |